Full Body Respray

[jeff jackson]

I have searchd the forum of course, some of the answers here are now quite old.
I would really like my Plus 2 resprayed. It has microblisters on the back end, only visible when its damp.
The roof and boot lid are dull, the paint has died. No matter how much polishing I do.
Has anyone had their car done recently?
how much was it? Where was it done? Are you pleased with the result?
Kind regards
Jeff 72+2

[Andy8421]

Jeff,

Its only a small car, so you wouldn't have thought it could cost too much, but labour costs are astronomical these days and glassfibre is very labour intensive to prep.

Two well known names are Spyder and Option 1. Spyder's web page:

https://www.spydercars.co.uk/spydercars-full-in-house-painting-facility/

£6K to strip the car, £6.5K to respray, so £12.5K (presumably +VAT) for the whole job.

Option 1 are widely regarded as being one of the best for glassfibre, but they have a long waiting list, and I recall prices were £20K+ when I last checked - which is a few years ago.

Perhaps you could report back with what you find.

Andy.

[cliveyboy]

There is also Paul Mason who was based at Spyder but has now moved location.
His work also comes highly recommended by members of this forum.
Clive

[tonyabacus]

Jeff
I realise you are a little distance away, but there is a firm just outside Plymouth that I have had work done by. One of their guys was a chief troubleshooter for Princess Yachts (they build very expensive boats for clients worldwide) and is very experienced with fibreglass. They have always been very reasonable on price too.

If you want more information PM me and I will explain more
Tony

[alan.barker]

Imho,
There is a lot of intox about painting grp.
Just as i see it after i admit making mistakes on the Lotus learning curve.
Always rubdown dry.
Repairs to cracks as St Miles Wilkins that is only Resin and Tissue.
Spraying Polyester then primer.
Don't rush and let Solvents evapourate.
Never put a Cover on your Lotus.
If you repair the cracks yourself as above you can then buy the Spraying Polyester yourself.
Tell paint shop to start with this then normal paint process but NO COOKING IN PAINT BOOTH. 25 °C maxi.
Much cheaper unless you're looking for a "Trailer Queen".
Personal choice
Alan

[smo17003]

There is also Paul Mason who was based at Spyder but has now moved location.
His work also comes highly recommended by members of this forum.
Clive

Paul Mason did an excellent job on my S4 a few years back. He was due to do my S3 but has unfortunately had to cancel. Last time I spoke to him he is turning away new work as he intends to retire in the New Year,

[tonyabacus]

One of the main problems is dealing with cracks, I learned a lot about this from the Princess Yachts trobleshooter I mentioned previously. It seems essential that the crack is ground out on both sides before applying a bridging fibreglass material. Once that has hardened you can set about a finishing repair to the surfaces.

He explained that you need to give the area around the crack some sort of bridge, otherwise the constant twisting and vibration through the panel will attack the crack repair and eventually start the cracking process again. Often in his experience people also do not take the mat material far enough away from the crack itself, so the repair does not spread the load far enough and hence allows the crack to move.

[alan.barker]

I've found that the "Iso resin" is soo much better than the "Ortho resin ".
Here in Brittany lots of grp used on boats easy to get good products
Alan

[tonyabacus]

Interesting that you mention the products used on boats, as that and some of the techniques used to repair boat hulls was what my contact was talking about. Given that he travelled the world on behalf of his company, he came across all sorts of damage that needed repairing. So I listened very carefully at what he was telling me about crack repairs, the key being to ensure that every crack is given adequate support over a larger area to account for future flexing that could affect any repairs.
Tony

[Baggy2]

FWIW

viewtopic.php?f=50&t=50124

Not too far from Dorset